VASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY

> Blood Distribution

84%
Entire volume of the body is
in the systemic circulation
64%
Veins
15%
Arteries
5%
Capillaries
7%
Heart
Pulmonary vessels
Aorta
arterioles

> Effective Viscosity

- Depends on several factors
96%
50%
8%
5%
12
18%
2%
1%

1 Fibrinogen concentration
2 Hematocrit
3 Vessel radius
4 Linear velocity
5 Temperature

> Basic principle of pressure, flow resistance

HCT
! - hct, fibrinogen = extreme in viscosity
! - hct 30% and less = hct, RBC interaction or
with fibrinogen
! - hct 60% and more = hct, RBC, cell-cell
interaction, deformability, viscosity

P1=100 mmHg
P2= 90 mmHg
Flow= 10ml/min

TEMPERATURE
- Cooled blood from 37c to 0c = viscosity
- Cryoglobulins - are immunoglobulins that
precipitate at < 37C temp but can be solubilize by
warming. High levels lead to vessel obstruction
and thrombosis
- Associated dse:
- Hepa C
- autoimmune
- lymphoproliferative dse

P1= 500 mmHg

P2= 490 mmHg
Flow=10ml/min

FLOW
Resistance
- Absolute P
- Diff P.

- Or pressure difference
- Or pressure gradient
- Or energy gradient
- Overall Blood Flow in circulation = 5000 ml/min
F= P
Proportonality constant how much
R
flow occurs for a given P
1/R - Resistance (friction or impediment)
I.e. Resistance is
> directly proportional to
n= blood viscocity
L= length of vessel
> inversely proportional to
r4= fourth power of the radius

> Determinants of Resistance to Flow:

1. Viscosity - nature of fluid (RBC to plasma)
2. Geometry of tube - radius
Small dm = R , F
Large dm = R , F
> Vessel Radius
- Blood viscosity is independent of vessel radius
(large vessels radius >1mm)
- viscosity steeply at lower radii
- 4 major causes
phenomenon:
1 axial accumulation
2 limited # of laminae
3 tank treading of RBC
4 deformation of RBC

of

Fahreus

Lindquest

> How blodo flows

1 Fluid must be incompressible
2 Tube: straight, rigid, cylindrical, unbranched with
constant radius
3 Velocity of the thin fluid at the wall must be zero
4 Flow must be laminar
5 Flow must be steady, not pulsatile
6 Viscosity must be constant

> Effects of Tube length & Radius on Resistance

to Flow
- Lengths of BV
- Resistance to flow directly proportional
to length of tube
- Resistance as radius
R=1/r4
F=AP/R
Let

F=flow
AP=
R = resistance

> Systemic circulation: A high pressure system

which involve in the control of systemic pressure
and flow distribution
> Pulmonary circulation: A low pressure system
which involve low pressure system control and
venous return
> Windkessel vessels
1 Aorta
2 Large arteries
3 Pulmonary artery

pressure

tension

BV smooth muscle contract

vessel radius

blood flow
Metabolic theory
pressure

blood flow

O2 supply to vessel wall

Metabolites released

Vasodilation

blood flow
II. Extrinsic reflex/ Nervous control

ARTERIES AND AORTA

= Sympathetic:

- thick walled
- large quantities of elastic tissue
- large radii- low resistance pipes
- pressure reservoir
- art. Pressure does not fall to 0
- art pressure: provides immediate driving force
for tissue blood flow

vasoconstrictors

> Mechanisms which control changes in arterolar

resistance & blood flow:
I. Local (autoregulation)
Tissue Pressure Theory:
pressure in BV, tension

Fluid goes out from the BV to surrounding tissue

Acts to compress the vessel

Blood flow

noradrenergic

fibers

cholinergic
sympathetic
vasodilators innervate the resistance vessels of
the skeletal muscle
- sympathetic nerve to skin
inhibited: vasodilation = skin flushes

= Parasympathetic: no significant arteriolar effect

= Hormones: factors
= Constrictors: decreased local temp,endothelin,
serotonin, angiotensin 2, neuropeptide Y, inc
noradrenergic vasomotor nerve discharge
= Dilators: increase CO2, decrease O2, increase
K, adenosine, lactate, NO, kinins, prostacyclin,
epinephrine in skeletal muscle and liver,
histamine, ANP, VIP, decrease discharge of
noradrenergic vasomotor nerve, activation of
cholinergix dilator fibers to skeletal muscle
> Major factors affecting arteriolar radius

Myogenic theory

are

- Sympathetic Vasoconstrictor nerves

- Sympathetic Vasodilator nerves
- Plasma, epinephrine, angiotensin

- Local controls:
- O2, K, CO2, H, Osmolarity,
prostagladins, injurious agents (inflammation)
! Only to skeletal muscles:
cholinergic
> Pressure and Resistance
A.
pressure within vessels

tension

vessel radius

resistance to flow
B.
pressure inside the vessel

tension

vessel radius

resistance to flow

Blood flow stops (critical closing pressure

20mmHg or at 6mmHg)
> Mean arterial pressure
- Not halfway between systole & diastole
- important: the average pressure driving blood
into tissues throughout the cardiac cycle
S = 125 mmHg
D = 75 mmHg
PP = S-D
50
MAP = 75 + (1/3xpp50)
= 92 mmHg

1 Stroke Volume
SV

Arterial blood volume

Pressure rises during systole and falls during

diastole

PP
2 Compliance = Distensibility x volume
< C, PP
> C, PP
3 Heart Rate: HR, SV, PP
4 Peripheral Resistance:
PR

Rapid Blood flow from artery to veins

venous return

SV

PP
5 Mean capillary filling pressure (MCFP):
If MCFP

venous return to heart

SV

PP
6 Heart ejection ejection -> PP
> Elastic properties of Blood vessels

> Mean arterial pressure: Force responsible for

the mean flow of blood to an organ
- Pulse Pressure
1 directly r/t SV
2 inversely r/t HR & peripheral resistance
3 function of arterial system
4 the difference between systolic and diastolic
pressure

= 3 layers of blood vessels: intima, media,

adventitia
= capillaries - involves only the intimal endothelial
cells
= 4 building blocks composing vascualr wall:
1 endothelial cells
2 elastic fibers
3 collagen fibers
4 smooth muscles
>Nonlinear relationship: pressure, flow, resistance

> Factors affecting Pulse Pressure

- Elastic properties of blood vessels are major

cause of nonlinear pressure flow relationship in
vascular bed exhibiting little or no active tension